George C. Pimentel Award
College of Chemistry, UC Berkeley

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In 2002, the College of Chemistry established the George C. Pimentel Award, to encourage undergraduate research. It is given to a graduating senior in chemistry who is a first-generation college student and who plans to go on to graduate study in science-related fields. It was started modestly with discretionary funds from the Dean of the
College of Chemistry, and will grow as donations increase the endowment.

The first award was given at Commencement, 2002, to Victor
Tam, a student from a small town in California's Central Valley - as George was. He
went on to do graduate work at UC San Diego.

Victor Tam with his parents, Patricia and Tom Tam, and Professor
Matt Francis

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The 2003 award went to Cesar Napoleon Mejia. His family is originally from Nicaragua; he graduated from
Bell High School in Southern California, where he was valedictorian. His research has been on excited states of bromine-containing molecules of atmospheric
significance. Professor Martin Head-Gordon was his advisor. After graduation he was accepted as an intern at NASA-Ames.

Cesar Mejia

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The 2004 recipient of the award is Irena Dragojevic.
An immigrant from Serbia, she had to master English before being accepted
at UC Berkeley, where she has done undergraduate research with Professors
Herb Strauss, Luciano Moretto, and Heino Nitsche. She will pursue
graduate work at UCLA in nuclear chemistry.

Irena Dragojevic

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The 2005 award winner is Zaihleen Shariff Keller. who is from
Canada; her Indian parents emigrated there from Kenya. She did undergraduate work with Ahamindra Jain on synthesis of a compound for
possible use in cancer treatment, and she also mentored other students. She is considering medical school as one of several
graduate options.